Electric gas-lighter



(No Model.)

H. A. CLEVERLY.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

Patented Nov. 13A, 1888.

, UNTTE STaTns P aTsNT tirreno HENRY A. CLEVERLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC GASNLIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,665, dated November 13, 1888.

Serial No. 275,379. (No morlolJ To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY A. CLEVERLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, Philadelphia county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act specincation.

My invention relates to electric gas-lighting devices, and more particularly to that class which is generally provided with a pendant adapted to turn the cock, permitting and stopping the flow of gas and operating a spark device arranged at or near the tip of the burner to ignite the gas.

Heretofore many such devices have been made, but they are all more or less wasteful of the electric current producing sparks by con tact of the electrodes when there is nonecessity or utility in doing so; and it is the object of my invention to provide a gas-lighting burner in which the least possible amount of electricity is used and the spark produced lonly at the moment the gas is turned on and allowed to flow from the burner-tip. In this way I am enabled to save battery-power and to provide a lighting device which is simple, cheap, and effective, and that can be easily operated.

Vith these objects in view my invention consists in a gaslighting device constructed substantially as described, so that the electrodes shall come into contact to produce the spark at the bnrnertip only when the cock is moved to permit the tlow of gas.

In the accompanying drawings I have illus` trated what I consider the best embodiment of my present invention, though it is evident that it may be embodied in other forms without dcparting from the spirit of my invention.

movement. This ratchet wheel is provided with two series of notches ot' different depths arranged alternately around its periphery, one series, c, being deeper than the other serics,c'.

Loosely mounted upon the stem of the cock C is a lever, D, to which the usual pendant may be attached, and the bearing portion of the lever is preferably provided with stops or projections d d', which serve, in connection with the pin or stud E, to limit the movement of the lever. rIhis lever is properly biased, as by a spring, F, so that it will normally assume a position with the stop d', bearing against the pin E, and the spring is shown connected to the pin with one end, f, bent to form a stoppawl for the ratchet, and the other end, j", connected to the lever and bentl so as to serve the double purpose of retracting the lever and pressing the actuatingpawl G into engagement with the teeth ot' the ratchetwheel. This actuatingpawl G is shown as being pivoted to the lever, and the free end carries an arm, H, to which the moving spring electrode I is secured. A stationary electrode, J, is secured to and insulated from the burner-tip in the usual way.

Such being the preferred construction, its operation is as follows: Assuming the cock to be closed, and it is desired to turn on and light the gas, the lever D is operated, and the actn uating-pawl G engaging one of the deeper notches, c, of the ratchctwheel C, the cock is turned sufficiently to permit the iiow of the gas, andthe arm H, attached to the pawl, brings the spring-electrode I into contact with the fixed electrode J with a wiping movement, as shown in Fig. l, and produces the spark at the burnertip as the electrodes separate at the end of the movement of the lever, and the gas is thereby turned on and ignited. Upon releasing the lever it is drawn back to its normal position by the spring F, and the ratchet wheel is prevented from turning by the endf thereof. In this backward movement of the lever the pawl G is forced to ride up and over the adjacent tooth ot the ratchet-wheel, and this movement raises the arm H, so that the spring-electrode passes over and by the stationary electrode without coming in contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 2, and the pawl is 'forced at the end of its movement into one of the shallow notches, c', of the ratchet'wheel.

IOO

. no contact or friction between the electrodes electrode to produce a spark, a lever for mov- .and this spark is produced at the instant it is When it is desired to extinguish the llame and turn off the gas, the lever D is again operated and the cock turned so as to close the gas-passage, and the spring-electrode carrying-arm is again moved forward; but, owing to the pawlv resting in one of the shallow notches, c', the spring-electrode is moved over and above the stationary electrode without coming in contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 3, and' no spark is produced; and when the lever is returned to its normal position the pawl rides up and over the adjacent tooth, and the springelectrode is returned to its normal position again without contacting with the fixed electrode.

It will thus be seen that only one contact of electrodes is effected and one spark produced at each complete turning on and off of the gas,

required to ignite thegas, and no battery-power is wasted in thevproduction of useless sparks. Fromnthis it follows that not only will the battary-power be saved, but the electrodes will wear much longer and the operation of the device in turning off the gas will be easier, as

is produced by this operation.

What I claim is- 1. An electric gas-lighter having a movable electrode adapted to be brought into contact with another electrode to create a spark, a lcver for moving the first electrode, and devices for preventing contact between the two electrodes, except at every alternate reciprocation of the rst electrode, substantially as described.

2. An electric gas-lighter having a movable electrode adapted to make contact with another ing the first electrode, and electrode-controling devices whereby the electrodes contact at t the rst reciprocation andlpass out of cont-act at the second reciprocation,` substantially as described.

3. An electric gas-lighter having a movable electrode adapted to make contact with another electrode,` a lever for moving the first electrode, electrode-controlling devices which permit the first electrode to contact with the other at the first reciprocation and cause it to pass over it at the second reciprocation, substantially as g described.

4. An electric gas-lighter having a reciprocating electrode and a stationary electrode, a lever for moving the first electrode, a cock operated by said lever to open or close a gas-passage, and an electrodecontrolling device, whereby the reciprocating electrode contacts with the stationary electrode only when the cock is moved to open a gas-passage and passes by the stationary electrode when the cock is moved to close a passage, substantially as described.

5. An electric gas-lighter having a stationary electrode, a movable electrode, a lever for operating the latter, and a pawl-and-ratchet wheel controlling the movement of the same, the said wheel being provided with notches of variable depths, substantially as described.

6. An electric'gas-lighter having a stationary electrode, a cock, a lever to operate the cock, a pawl connected to the lever and carrying a movable electrode', and a ratchet-wheel having notches of variable depth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specitication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. CLEVERLY. 

